Cutting apparatus with image reading unit and reading-use holding unit having reference portion for use in shading correction

ABSTRACT

A reading-use holding member which is configured for use with an image reading apparatus including an image reading unit and which holds a sheet of workpiece while image reading is performed by the image reading unit, the reading-use holding member including a base being generally planar; an indicator provided at the base and configured to identify a type of holding member when read by the image reading unit; a holding portion provided at the base and configured to hold the workpiece; and a reference portion provided at the base and configured to provide a reference image data for use in a shading correction of an image read by the image reading unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe prior Japanese Patent Application 2012-123110, filed on, May 30,2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a reading-use holding member forholding a sheet of read object, an image reading apparatus provided withthe reading-use holding member, and a cutting apparatus provided withthe image reading apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Image reading apparatus such as a copier, facsimile, and image scannerare typically provided with a feed mechanism that feeds the object ofread or workpiece, typically coming in the form of a sheet material suchas a sheet of paper, in the forward and rearward direction. Such imagereading apparatuses are further typically provided with a holder forholding the sheet of read object which comprises a holder base and atransparent holder cover. The image of the read object is obtained byreading the surface of the read object with an image scanner whilefeeding the holder clamping the read object in the forward and rearwarddirection.

The image scanner is typically configured by components such as a lightsource, lens, and a plurality of imaging devices. One of the problemsencountered in such image scanners is the unevenness in the level ofconcentration of the read image which may be caused by the variation inthe properties of the imaging devices, variation in the brightness ofthe light source, and the aberration of the lens. Thus, the read imageis subjected to a shading correction to correct the concentration level.The shading correction typically involves reading a reference memberincluding, for example, a white reference color with the image scannerprior to the reading of the read object, generating correction databased on the image data of the read reference member, and applying thecorrection data to correct the concentration level of the read object.

A reference member for shading correction is typically provided on theleading head of the holder being fed into the image reading apparatus.In order to obtain white reference information, the reference member isformed in a white color exhibiting a high level of brightness. Byreading the reference member with the image scanner during the imagereading, the latest correction data is always available to enableexecution of appropriate shading correction.

A cutting apparatus is known that cuts a workpiece made of materialssuch as paper and cloth in the desired shape. The workpiece is held by aholding member during the cutting operation. By providing an imagesensor serving as an image reading unit on such cutting apparatus,information such as the location, size, and the outline of the workpieceheld by the holding member may be detected while also enabling readingof the original image of the workpiece for generation of cut data.

The above described application also requires shading correction of theread object in order to obtain a good read image. Thus, a referencemember for shading correction, similar to the foregoing may be providedon the holding member. However, the reference member, when provided onthe holding member, may be contaminated by the debris resulting from thecutting of the workpiece. Further, scratches resulting from the repeatedcutting accumulate on the surface of the holding member. Thus, theholding member is considered as a consumable which is replaced by a newone after being used for approximately ten times. In this respect, theprovision of the reference member brings up the cost of the overallsystem.

SUMMARY

Various exemplary embodiments of the general principles herein mayprovide a reading-use holding member for use with an image readingapparatus allowing appropriate shading correction of the image read byan image reading unit. Exemplary embodiments herein may also provide animage reading apparatus and a cutting apparatus.

In one aspect, a reading-use holding member which is configured for usewith an image reading apparatus including an image reading unit andwhich holds a sheet of workpiece while image reading is performed by theimage reading unit, the reading-use holding member including a basebeing generally planar; an indicator provided at the base and configuredto identify a type of holding member when read by the image readingunit; a holding portion provided at the base and configured to hold theworkpiece; and a reference portion provided at the base and configuredto provide a reference image data for use in a shading correction of animage read by the image reading unit.

In one aspect, an image reading apparatus includes an image reading unitand the above described reading-use holding member.

In one aspect, a cutting apparatus provided with an image readingapparatus includes: an image reading unit; a reading-use holding memberconfigured to hold a sheet of workpiece while image reading is performedby the image reading unit, the reading-use holding member including: abase being generally planar, an indicator provided at the base andconfigured to identify a type of holding member when read by the imagereading unit, a holding portion provided at the base and configured tohold the workpiece, and a reference portion provided at the base andconfigured to provide a reference image data for use in a shadingcorrection of an image read by the image reading unit; a cutting-useholding member being different in type from the reading-use holdingmember and including an indicator configured to identify a type ofholding member when read by the image reading unit and a second adhesivelayer configured to removably hold a sheet of a workpiece by a secondadhesive force; and a cut mechanism configured to cut the workpiecebeing held by the cutting-use holding member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 pertains to a first embodiment and is one example of aperspective view illustrating the inner structure of a cutting apparatusand a cutting-use holding member.

FIG. 2 is one example of a planar view of the internal structure of thecutting apparatus.

FIG. 3 is one example of a vertical left-side cross sectional view takenalong line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is one example of a perspective view of a cut head.

FIG. 5 is one example of a front view of the cut head.

FIG. 6 is one example of a plan view of the cut head.

FIG. 7 is one example of a vertical cross sectional front view of thecut head taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is one example of a perspective view of a carriage.

FIG. 9A is one example of a perspective view schematically illustratingthe configuration of a reading-use holding member.

FIG. 9B is one example of a front view of the reading-use holdingmember.

FIG. 10 is one example of a block diagram schematically illustrating anelectric configuration.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart indicating one example of a schematic processflow of a reading process executed by a control circuit.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart indicating one example of a process flow forspecifying a shading correction data.

FIG. 13A pertains to a second embodiment and is one example of a planview schematically illustrating the configuration of a reading-useholding member.

FIG. 13B is one example of a reading-use holding member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A first embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 12. An image reading apparatus 1′ of the first embodiment isconfigured as a component of a cutting apparatus 1 that cuts sheetmaterials such as a sheet of paper and thus, will be explained throughthe description of the cutting apparatus 1. Referring to FIG. 1, thecutting apparatus including the image reading apparatus 1′ is providedwith a main cover 2 shown in FIG. 1, a platen 3 disposed inside the maincover 2, and a cut head 5 provided with a cutter 4 shown in FIGS. 3 and7 and serving as a cut mechanism. As further shown in FIG. 2, thecutting apparatus 1 is provided with a scanner 6 serving as an imagereading unit which will be later described in detail.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the cutting apparatus 1 is provided with acut-type or cutting-use holding member 51 for holding a workpiece S alsoreferred to as a cut object S comprising a sheet material such as paperand cloth. As further shown in FIGS. 9A, and 9B, the cutting apparatus 1is also provided with a read-type or reading-use holding member 71 forholding a workpiece S′ also referred to as a read object S′ comprising asheet material such as paper. The workpiece S bears the original image,based upon which, cut data is generated by the cutting apparatus 1. Aswill be later described in detail, both the cutting-use holding member51 and the reading-use holding member 71 are generally flat andrectangular. When the cutting-use holding member 51 and the reading-useholding member 71 are collectively referred, they will be represented as“holding member 51/71”.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the main cover 2 is shaped like a laterallyelongate rectangular box and on the front face of the main cover 2, alaterally elongate opening 2 a is formed. Through the opening 2 a, thecutting-use holding sheet 51 holding the workpiece S or the reading-useholding member 71 holding the workpiece S′ may be placed on the uppersurface of the platen 3. The cutting apparatus 1 is further providedwith a feed mechanism 7 and a cutter transfer mechanism 8. The feedmechanism 7 feeds the holding member 51/71 in the forward and rearwarddirection also referred to as the Y direction. The cutter transfermechanism 8 transfers the cut head 5 in the left and right directionalso referred to as the X direction. In the first embodiment, the X andY directions intersect so as to be orthogonal to one another.

On the right side of the front face of the main cover 2, a display 9 isprovided which comprises a full color liquid crystal display. Providedfurther on the right, side of the front face of the main cover 2 is aplurality of control switches 10 only shown in FIG. 10 which iscontrolled by the user for providing various instructions and makingselections and inputs. The control switches 10 include a touch panelprovided on the surface of the display 9. Display 9 serves a displayunit that presents images of patterns and messages addressed to theuser. The user may select a given pattern from those presented on thedisplay 9 and specify various parameters as well as input instructionsthrough the operation of the control switches 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen 3 receives the underside of thecutting-use holding member 51 when cutting the workpiece S and comprisesa pair of front plate 3 a and a rear plate 3 b being provided on amachine frame 11. The upper surface of the platen 3 is level and theplaten 3 is transferred with the cutting-use holding sheet 51 holdingthe workpiece S or the reading-use holding member 71 holding theworkpiece S′ placed on top of it.

The feed mechanism 7 transfers the holding member 51/71 in theY-direction across the upper surface of the platen 3 and is configuredas described below. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, etc, the machine frame11 is located inside the main cover 2. The machine frame 11 is providedwith left and right sidewalls 11 a and 11 b that are located on the leftand right sides of the platen 3 so as to oppose one another. As alsoshown in FIG. 3, a drive roller 12 and the pinch roller shaft 13extending across the left and right sidewalls 11 a and 11 b are providedso as to be located in the clearance between the front plate 3 a and therear plate 3 b of the platen 3. The pinch roller shaft 13 and the driveroller 12 are aligned in the up and down direction such that the pinchroller shaft 13 is disposed above the drive roller 12.

The left and right end sides of the drive roller 12 are supportedrotatably by the sidewalls 11 a and 11 b such that the upper end of thedrive roller 12 is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of theplaten 3. Referring to FIG. 2, the drive roller 12 extends rightwardthrough the right sidewall 11 b and on the right end of the drive roller12, a follower gear 17 is provided which has a relatively largediameter. As further shown in FIG. 2, a mount frame 14 is attached onthe outer surface of the right sidewall 11 b and a Y-axis motor 15 ismounted on the mount frame 14. The Y-axis motor 15 comprises, forinstance, a stepper motor. At end of the rotary shaft of the Y-axismotor 15 a drive gear 16 is attached which has a relatively smalldiameter. The drive gear 16 is meshed with the aforementioned followergear 17. Thus, the forward/reverse rotation of the Y-axis motor 15drives the drive roller 12 in rotation in the forward and reversedirections.

The left and right ends of the pinch roller shaft 13 are supportedrotatably by the left and right sidewalls 11 a and 11 b so as to beslightly movable in the direction of thickness of the workpiece such asworkpiece S. The pinch roller shaft 13 extends through both the left andthe right sidewalls 11 a and 11 b, and between the left and right endsof the pinch roller shaft 13 and the outer surfaces of the correspondingsidewalls 11 a and 11 b, coil springs 18 are engaged to constantly biasthe pinch roller shaft 13 downward toward the drive roller 12. Near theleft and right side ends of the pinch roller shaft 13 as shown in FIGS.1 and 2, roller portions 13 a and 13 b are provided that have outerdiameters slightly larger than those of other portions of the pinchroller shaft 13.

Thus, left and right edges 51 a and 51 b of the cutting-use holdingmember 51 are held between the drive roller 12 and the roller portions13 a and 13 b of the pinch roller shaft 13. The feed mechanism 7 feedsthe holding member 51/71 in the Y direction by the rotational drive ofthe drive roller 12 driven by the Y-axis motor 15 with the left andright edges of the holding member 51/71 held between the drive roller 12and the roller portions 13 a and 13 b of the pinch roller shaft 13.

The cutter transfer mechanism 8 transfers the carriage 19 andconsequently the cut head 5 in the X direction and is configured asdescribed below. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a guide shaft 21 is disposedso as to extend in the left and right direction between the left andright sidewalls 11 a and 11 b so as to be located slightly behind andabove the pinch roller shaft 13. The guide shaft 21 extendssubstantially parallel with the pinch roller shaft 13, in other words,in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 8, etc., the carriage 19 isprovided with a guide sleeve 22 on each of its left and right sides. Theguide shaft 21 is passed through the guide sleeves 22 to allow thecarriage 19 and consequently the cut head 5 to move in the X directionalong the guide shaft 21.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a horizontal mount plate 23 is attached tothe outer rear side portion of the left sidewall 11 a, whereas anauxiliary mount plate 24 is attached to the right sidewall 11 b. On therear side of the mount plate 23, an X-axis motor 25 comprising a steppermotor for example, is mounted so as to be oriented upward. On the frontside of the mount plate 23, a pulley shaft 26 extends rotatably in thedirection orthogonal to the mount plate 23. The output shaft of theX-axis motor 25 is provided with a drive gear 27 having a relativelysmall diameter. The pulley shaft 26 is provided with a timing pulley 28and a follower gear 29 having relatively large diameter. The timingpulley 28 and the follower gear 29 are structurally integral and thus,rotates integrally. The follower gear 29 meshes with the drive gear 27.

The auxiliary mount plate 24 is provided with timing pulley arrangedrotatably with its axis oriented upward. The timing pulley 30 and thetiming pulley 28 are wound with an endless timing belt 31 which extendshorizontally along the X direction. The intermediate portion of thetiming belt 31 is connected to a mount portion 32 provided on the rearsurface of the carriage 19 as can be seen in FIG. 3, etc. Sidewalls 11 aand 11 b are provided with a square opening 11 c to allow the timingbelt 31 to pass through. The cutter transfer mechanism 8 configured asdescribed above transfers the carriage and consequently the cut head 5in the left and right direction by the rotation of the X-axis motor 25in the forward and reverse directions which is transmitted to the timingbelt 31 by way of the follower gear 29 and the pulley 28.

The cut head 5 is disposed on the front side of the carriage 19 with avertical drive mechanism 36 and a cutter holder 20 situated on its leftand right sides. The structure of the cut head 5 will be described withreference to FIGS. 3 to 8. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 8, etc., thecarriage 19 is configured substantially as a rectangular plate which islaterally elongated in front view. On the upper edge of the carriage 19,the aforementioned guide sleeves 22 are provided so as to be located onthe left and right side portions. On the rear side of the carriage 19,the aforementioned mount portion 32 protrudes rearward to be connectedto the timing belt 31 as shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 8, on the portion of the front face of the carriage 19,located slightly to the left, a first engagement portion 33 is providedwhich extends in the up and down direction. The first engagement portion33 is L-shaped in plan view. On the central portion of the front face ofthe carriage 19, a second engagement portion 34 is provided whichextends in the up and down direction. Referring to FIG. 6, etc., thefirst engagement portion 33 and the second engagement portion 34 areengaged with a first engagement subject 57 and a second engagementsubject 49 provided on the cutter holder 20 such that the firstengagement subject 57 and the second engagement subject 49 are slidablein the Z direction, which in this case, is the up and down direction.Further, on the lower end of the carriage 19, a slide contact portion 35is provided for maintaining the orientation of the cut head 5, in otherwords, for inhibiting the pivoting of the carriage 19 about the guideshaft 21.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 8, the slide contact portion 35 takes adownwardly oriented U-shape in side view. The slide contact portion 35is made of a thin plate and extends in the left and right direction. Asshown in FIG. 3, the inner surface of the slide contact portion 35establishes sliding contact with the pinch roller shaft 13 provided inthe feed mechanism 7 to allow the X-directional movement of the carriage19 while maintaining its orientation. Because the pinch roller shaft 13is supported so as to be slightly movable in the up and down direction,in other words, the thickness direction of the workpiece S, the slidecontact portion 35 is in sliding contact with the pinch roller shaft 13so as to be relatively movable in the up and down direction in which thepinch roller shaft 13 is moved. The slide contact portion 35 is formedinto a shape that embraces the pinch roller shaft 13 from the front andrear direction which is the direction in which the workpiece S is fed.The slide contact portion 35 moves along the region located between theroller portions 13 a and 13 b. The movement of the slide contact portion35 is arranged so as not to prevent the X-directional movement of thecarriage 19, in other words, the cut head 5.

The aforementioned vertical drive mechanism 36 is configured asdescribed in the following. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, a mount plate 37formed into a crank shape is provided on the left front side of thecarriage 19. On the front face of the left end of the mount plate 37, aZ-axis motor 38, comprising a stepper motor for example, is provided soas to be oriented rearward. On the output shaft of the Z-axis motor 34,a drive gear 39 is attached which has a relatively small diameter. Asshown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the mount plate 37 is provided with a forwardlyprotruding gear shaft 40 located rightwardly upward from the Z-axismotor 38. A follower gear 41 having a relatively large diameter andpinion gear 42 are supported rotatably by the gear shaft 40. Thefollower gear 41 and the pinion gear 42 are structurally integral andthus, rotate integrally. The follower gear 41 meshes with the drive gear39.

On the right side of the gear shaft 40, a rack member 43 is provided.The rack member 43 extends in the up and down direction and is shapedsuch that its left sidewall is adjoined with its front side wall. Therack member 43 is supported movably in the up and down direction by alater described shaft 46. The left side wall of the rack member 43 has arack 43 a, extending in the up and down direction, formed on it. Therack 43 a meshes with the pinion 42 mentioned earlier. Thus, the rackmember 43 is moved in the up and down direction by the rotation of thepinion gear 42 driven by the Z-axis motor 38.

Referring to FIG. 1, on the upper surface of the rack member 43, anupper support piece 44 is provided so as to be structurally integralwith the upper surface. The upper support piece 44 is shaped like a thinhorizontal plate. On an inner portion of the rack member 43 locatedslightly below the vertical mid portion, an intermediate support piece45 is provided. The intermediate support piece 45 is also structurallyintegral with the rack member 43 and is shaped like a thin horizontalplate. The upper support piece 44 has a through hole 44 a formedtherethrough whereas the intermediate support piece 45 has a throughhole 45 a formed therethrough. Inside the rack member 43, a shaft 46shaped like a round bar elongated in the up and down direction isdisposed so as to extend through the through holes 44 a and 45 a.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the cutter holder 20 includes a mount sleeve47, a shaft support 48, the first engagement subject 57, and the secondengagement subject 49 that are structurally integral. The secondengagement subject 49 is only shown in FIG. 6. The mount sleeve 47extends in the up and down direction and is substantially cylindrical.As will be later described, cutter support sleeve 50 provided with thecutter 4 is removably mounted on the mount sleeve 47. The firstengagement subject 57 extends in the up and down direction and islocated behind the shaft 46.

The first engagement subject 57 is engaged with the first engagementportion 33 of the carriage 19 so as to be movable in the up and downdirection. The second engagement subject 49 is L-shaped in plan view asshown in FIG. 6 and extends in the up and down direction on the rearsurface side of the mount sleeve 47. The second engagement subject 49 isengaged with the second engagement portion 34 of the carriage 19 so asto be movable in the up and down direction. Thus, the cutter holder 20is supported by the carriage 19 so as to be movable in the up and downdirection relative to the carriage 19. The cutter holder 20 is movedbetween the lowered position in which a later described blade 4 a of thecutter 4 penetrates through the workpiece S and the lifted position inwhich the blade 4 a is spaced apart from the workplace S by apredetermined distance.

The shaft support 48 is located on the left side of the mount sleeve 47and is provided with an upper plate 48 a and a lower plate 48 b as shownin FIG. 7. The upper plate 48 a and the lower plate 48 b each has acircular hole 48 c formed through it. The shaft 46 extends through eachof the circular holes 48 c. The upper plate 48 a is disposed so as to beplaced over the intermediate support piece 45 of the rack member 43. Theshaft 46 is mounted on the shaft support 48 by being locked by stoprings 80 provided on a portion slightly above the vertical mid portionof the shaft 46 and on the lower end portion of the shaft 46. On theouter peripheral portion of the shaft 46, a compression coil spring 58is wound so as to be located between the underside of the intermediatesupport piece 45 and the upper surface of the lower plate 48 b.

Thus, the shaft support 48, in other words, the cutter holder 20 islifted or lowered with the lifting and lowering of the rack member 43.The cut holder 20 is thus, moved between the lowered position in whichthe blade 4 a of the cutter 4 penetrates through the workpiece S and thelifted position in which the blade 4 a is spaced apart from theworkplace S by a predetermined distance.

The lowering of the cutter holder 20 will be described in detailhereinafter. The cutter holder 20 is gradually lowered with the loweringof the rack member 43. The cut holder 20 stops its descent at thelocation where the blade 4 a of the cutter 4 penetrates through theworkpiece S, whereas the rack member 43 continues its descent. The rackmember 43 stops its descent after descending for a predetermineddistance. Thus, in the lowered position of the cutter holder 20, thecompression coil spring is compressed by a predetermined distance belowthe intermediate support piece 45. As a result, the biasing force, i.e.the elasticity of the compression coil spring 58 exerts a predeterminedpressure on the workpiece S applied through the cutter 4. The upwardmovement of the cutter holder 5 and consequently the cutter 4 againstthe biasing force of the compression coil spring 58 is also permitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cutter support sleeve 50 exhibits a cylindricalshape elongated in the up and down direction. The outer peripheralsurface of the cutter support sleeve 50 is fitted with the innerperipheral portion of the mount sleeve 47. The cutter 4 is mounted intothe cutter support sleeve 50 so as to extend along the central axis ofthe cutter support sleeve 50. The lower end of the cutter 4 terminatesinto a blade 4 a which protrudes downward from the lower end of thecutter support sleeve 50. On the lower portion of the cutter supportsleeve 50, a presser portion 59 is provided movably in the up and downdirection so as to surround the blade 4 a. Between the presser portion59 and the cutter support sleeve 50, a coil spring 55 only shown in FIG.7 is disposed which constantly biases the presser portion 59 downward. Ahole 59 a is defined through the central portion of the bottom surfaceof the presser portion 59 which allows the blade 4 a of the cutter 4 topass through.

The cutter support sleeve 50 is fitted into the mount sleeve 47 from theupward direction and fastened by a screw 56. Thus, the cutter 4, beingsupported by the cutter holder 20, in other words, the cutter supportsleeve 50 is moved up and down by the vertical drive mechanism 36. Whenthe cutting operation is not ongoing, the cutter 4 is located in thelifted position shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 in which the blade 4 a is notexposed from the presser portion 59.

When the cutter holder, i.e. the cutter support sleeve 50 is lowered bythe vertical drive mechanism 36, the under side of the presser portion59 contacts the upper surface of the workpiece S to disallow furtherdescent. Then, the cutter holder 20 and consequently the cutter 4 isfurther lowered against the spring force of the coil, spring 55 to thelowered position in which the blade 4 a passes through hole 59 a of thepresser portion 59 to penetrate through or cut the workpiece S. Undersuch state, the cutting-use holding member 51 is fed in the Y directionby the feed mechanism 7 while transferring the cut head 5 in the Xdirection to execute the cutting operation for cutting the workpiece S.

In the first embodiment, the cutting apparatus 1 including the imagereading apparatus 1′ is provided with a scanner 6 as shown in FIG. 2.The scanner 6 serves as an image reading unit for reading the images ofworkpieces 5 and 5′ shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The scanner 6 may comprisea CIS (contact image sensor). Though not shown in detail, the scanner 6comprises components such as a line sensor configured by multipleimaging devices aligned in the X direction, a light source such as alamp, and a lens. The scanner 5 is located behind the guide shaft 21 andextends in the X direction so as to be substantially equal in length tothe width of the cutting-use holding member 51 and the later describedreading-use holding member 71.

The scanner 6 faces downward and is provided with a read head on itsunderside which is equipped with a contact glass. The scanner 6 readsthe images on the workpiece placed on the platen 3 by positioning theread head in the proximity of the upper surface of the workpiece. Morespecifically, the scanner 6 reads the image of the workpiece S held bythe cutting-use holding member 51 and detects the location and size ofthe workplace S in order to output the same on the display 9. Thescanner 6 also reads the image of the workpiece S′ held by the laterdescribed reading-use holding member 71 and reads the image of theworkpiece S′ based upon which the cut data is generated. Further, aswill be later described, the images of indicators 54 and 73 of theholding, member 51/71 are read in order to determine the type of theholding member. The scanner 6 is controlled by a control circuit 61 asshown in FIG. 10.

Next, a description will be given on the cutting-use holding member 51and the reading-use holding member 71. As shown in FIG. 1, thecutting-use holding member 51 is made of a soft synthetic resin materialand includes a base 52 and a holding portion 53 provided over the base52. The base 52 is rectangular and is slightly elongated in the frontand rear direction. The holding portion 53 includes an adhesive layer 53a on a rectangular area on the upper surface of the base 52 surroundedby a left edge 52 a, a right edge 52 b, front edge 52 c, and a rear edge52 d. The adhesive layer is referred to as a second adhesive layer 53 aand the adhesive force of the second adhesive layer 53 a is referred toas a second adhesive force. Attachment of the workpiece S on the secondadhesive layer 53 a establishes the hold of the workpiece S. The secondadhesive force of the second adhesive layer 53 a is controlled to alevel to establish an unmovable and reliable hold of the workpiece Sduring the cutting operation while allowing a relatively easy peel ofthe workpiece S after the cutting operation is completed.

On the front and rear edges 52 c and 52 d located on the upper surfaceof the cutting-use holding member 51, indicator 54 is provided torepresent the type of holding member. The indicator 54 provided on thecutting-use holding member 51 comprises a couple of black dots alignedin the left and right direction. Indicator 54 is provided on the leftand right end portions of each of the front and rear edges 52 c and 52 dof the cutting-use holding member 51, meaning that there are a total of4 indicators provided on the cutting-use holding member 51. As will belater described, the indicator 54 allows the control circuit 61 todistinguish the type of holding member by reading the upper surface ofthe edge 52 c or 52 d with the scanner 6. The cutting-use holding member51 may be turned around to reverse the forward and the rearwarddirection, meaning that the cutting-use holding member 51 may beinserted into the inlet 2 a from the rear edge 52 d.

The cutting-use holding member 51 is assigned an X-Y coordinate systemin which the origin O is located, for example, on the left corner of theholding portion 53. The X-Y coordinate system serves as the basis forcontrolling the later described cutting operation. Further, scratchesresulting from the repeated cutting gradually accumulate on the surfaceof the cutting-use holding member 51. Further, repeated attachment anddetachment of workpiece S gradually reduces the adhesive force of thesecond adhesive layer 53 a. Thus, the cutting-use holding member 51 isconsidered as a consumable which is replaced by a new one after beingused for approximately ten times.

In contrast, the reading-use holding member 71 of the first embodimentis configured as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. As shown in FIG. 9A, thereading-use holding member 71 is made of a soft synthetic resin materialand includes a rectangular base 72 slightly elongated in the front andrear direction. The width of the base 72 taken along the left and rightdirection is substantially the same as the width of the base 52 ofcutting-use holding member 51. Provided on the base 72 is an indicator7, a holding portion 74, and a reference portion 75. The indicator 73identifies the type of holding member. The holding portion 74 holdsworkpiece comprising a sheet material such as paper and having theoriginal image for generating the cut data depicted on it. The referenceportion 75 is used in the later described shading correction.

The holding portion 74 includes a placement region 72 b on a rectangulararea on the upper surface of the base 72 surrounded by front end portion72 a which is the leading end in the forward feed, a left end portion 72b, and a right end portion 72 c. The placement region 72 b is providedwith a transparent sheet 76. The transparent sheet 76 is provided overthe workpiece S′ placed on the upper surface of the base 72. Thus, theworkpiece S′ is held between the transparent sheet 76 and the base 72.The transparent sheet 76 is made of a soft and highly transparentrectangular sheet made of synthetic resin. The front edge of thetransparent sheet 76 is bonded on the base 72. FIG. 9A shows a bondingportion 76 a in a dotted line. The rear edge of the transparent sheet 76may be lifted away from the base 72 in an opened state and be rested onthe placement region 72 d located on the upper surface of the base 72 ina closed state.

The user may establish the hold of the workpiece S′ by lifting open thetransparent sheet 76 and placing the workplace S′ on the placementregion 72 d, whereafter the transparent sheet 76 is lowered to itsoriginal position so as to be placed over the workpiece S′. According tothe above described configuration, the workplace O is held reliably andunremovably while allowing the workpiece S′ to be easily removed afterthe workplace S′ is read. The image depicted on the upper surface of theworkpiece can be read through the transparent sheet 76. The reading-useholding member 71 is also assigned an X-Y coordinate system in which theorigin O is located, for example, on the left corner of the placementregion 72 d.

The indicator 73 provided on the reading-use holding member 71 comprises3 black dots aligned in the left and right direction. Indicator 73 isprovided on the left and right end portions of the front edge 72 a ofthe base 72, meaning there is a total of 2 indicators provided on thebase 72. The indicator 73 allows the later described control circuit 61to distinguish or identify the type of holding member by reading theupper surface of the front edge 72 a with the scanner 6.

The reference portion 75 is provided on the portion of the upper surfaceof the base 72 located between the region in which the indicator isprovided and the holding portion 74. In the first embodiment, thereference portion 75 includes both a white reference portion 77 forcorrecting the white level of the read image and a black referenceportion 78 for correcting the black level of the read image. In FIG. 9A,the black reference portion 78 is hatched for distinction.

The white reference portion 77 comprises a tape having a predeterminedwidth which is colored in white reference color and is applied laterallyacross the portion of the base 72 located reward relative to the frontedge 72 a. Similarly, the black reference portion 78 comprises a tapehaving a predetermined width which is colored in black reference colorand is applied laterally across the portion of the base 72 locatedforward relative to the front edge 72 a.

The height of the upper surfaces of the white reference portion 77 andblack reference portion 78 are configured to be higher than the heightof the upper surface of the placement 72 d located on the base 72 asshown in FIG. 98. The difference between the heights is configured to besubstantially equal to the standard thickness of workpiece S′ beingapproximately 0.28 mm which envisages the thickness of a printedphotograph. Stated differently, the upper surface of the referenceportion 75 is configured to be substantially level with the uppersurface of workpiece held by the holding portion 74. FIG. 98 does notshow the transparent sheet 76 for ease of explanation.

Next, a control system of the cutting apparatus 1 as well as the imagereading apparatus 1′ will be described with reference to FIG. 10. Thecontrol circuit 61 serving as a control unit responsible for the overallcontrol of the cutting apparatus is primarily configured by a computer(CPU) and is coupled to a ROM 62, RAM 63, and external memory 64. ROM 62stores computer programs such as a cut control program for controllingthe cutting operation and a display control program for controlling theimage output through display 9. The RAM 63 is a temporary storage forstoring data and programs required in executing various processes.

The control circuit 61 receives inputs of signals such as signals ofimages read from the scanner 6 and control signals from various controlswitches 10. The control circuit 61 further receives inputs of signalsfrom the detection sensor 66 that detects the leading end of the holdingmember 51/71 inserted through the inlet 2 a. The external memory 64stores cut data for cutting multiple types of patterns. The cut dataincludes basic size information, cut line data, and display data. Thebasic size information represents the longitudinal and latitudinal sizesof the pattern and is a shape data corresponding to the shape of thepattern. The cut line data comprises coordinate data indicating thevertexes of line segments of the cut line data in X-Y coordinate systemwhich is defined by the cutting apparatus 1.

The control circuit 61 is further connected to the display 9. Thedisplay 9 outputs various items such as a mode selection screen, apattern selection screen, and a layout selection screen. The user mayselect a desired functional mode and a pattern or specify where to makethe cuts through the operation of various control switches 10, whileviewing the display 9. The control circuit 61 is further connected todrive circuits 67, 68, and 69 for driving the Y-axis motor 15, theX-axis motor 25, and the Z-axis motor 38. The control circuit 61controls components such as the Y-axis motor 15, the X-axis motor 25,and the Z-axis motor through the execution of the cut control program toautomatically execute the cutting of the workpiece S located on thecutting-use holding member 51.

The control circuit 61, when cutting out a pattern from the workpiece S,feeds the cutting-use holding member 51 and consequently the workpiece Sheld by it in the Y direction by the feed mechanism 7 based on the cutdata, in other words, the cut line data of a given pattern. By movingthe cutter holder 20, in other words, the cutter 4 in the X direction bythe cutter transfer mechanism 8 with the feed movement, the workplace Sis cut along the outline of the pattern.

In reading images with the scanner 6, the controller 61 feeds theholding members 51/71 holding the workpiece S/S′ to be scanned in the Ydirection toward the rear side of the platen 3 by the feed mechanism 7.The scanning or reading by the scanner 6 is performed in synchronismwith the feeding to obtain images of the workpiece S/S′. The controlcircuit 61 extracts information such as the outline and the graphicshapes of the pattern from the images read by the scanner 6 by knownimage processing methods. The aforementioned shading correction iscarried out during the image processing. The shading correction correctsthe unevenness in the level of concentration of the read image by usingthe correction data.

In the first embodiment, the control circuit 61 executes the followingprocesses through its software configuration as will be explained in thefollowing description on the working of the embodiment and theflowchart. The control circuit 51, when detecting the insertion ofeither of the holding member 51 and 71 by the detection sensor 66,executes the image reading of the indicators 54 and 73 of the holdingmember 51/71 through the scanner 6. Then, the type of the insertedholding member 51/71 is determined by identifying the type of indicators54 and 73.

In case the inserted holding member is identified as the cutting-useholding member 51, the control circuit 61 proceeds to read the imagesdepicted on the surface of the cutting-use holding member 51 with thescanner 6. This image reading process detects the location and the sizeof the workpiece S held by the cutting-use holding member 51 whichserves as the basis for making an output on the display and determiningthe location for executing the cutting operation. During the imageprocessing, a pre-stored or the default correction data stored in theROM 62 for example is used to execute the shading correction of the readimage. Thereafter, a cutting operation as such described above iscarried out.

In contrast, in case the inserted holding member is identified as thereading-use holding member 71, the control circuit 61 proceeds to readthe image of the reference portion 75 provided on the reading-useholding member 71 with the scanner 6. Then, shading correction data isspecified based on the read image. At this instance, both the blacklevel correction data based on the read black reference portion 78 andthe white level correction data based on the read white referenceportion 77 is acquired. Then, the images depicted on the workpiece S′ ofthe cutting-use holding member 51 is read with the scanner 6. During theimage processing, shading correction is executed on the read image usingthe correction data specified by reading the reference portion 75.Thereafter, processes such as the generation of the cut data based onthe read image are carried out.

Next, the working of the above described structure and configurationwill be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The flowchart inFIG. 11 schematically indicates the process flow of an image readingprocess executed by the control circuit 61 when the holding member 51/71is inserted through the inlet 2 a of the cutting apparatus 1. Theflowchart of FIG. 12 elaborates on the step S6 indicated in FIG. 11which is a process for specifying the shading correction data.

In case the user wishes to cut the workpiece S with the cuttingapparatus 1, the workpiece S is attached to and thus, held by the secondadhesive layer 53 a provided on the holding portion 53 of thecutting-use holding member 51 as shown in FIG. 1. Then, the front end ofthe cutting-use holding member 51 is inserted into inlet 2 a. In casethe user wishes to read the original image depicted on the workpiece S′for cut data generation, for example, the workplace S′ is held by thereading-use holding member 71. The hold is established by lifting thetransparent sheet 76 of the reading-use holding member 71 and placingthe workpiece S′ on the placement region 72 d, whereafter thetransparent sheet 76 is lowered to its original position so as to beplaced over the workpiece S′. Then, the front end of the reading-useholding member 71 is inserted into the inlet 2 a.

In response to the insertion of the holding member 51/71 into the inlet2 a, the control circuit 61 starts the reading process indicated in theflowchart of FIG. 11. At step S1, the insertion of the holding member51/71 is detected by the detection sensor 66. Then, at step S2, theholding member 51/71 is fed by the feed mechanism 7 until the leadingend of the holding member 51/71 where the indicators 54 and 73 areprovided is located immediately below the scanner 6. At step S3, imagereading of the indicators 54 and 73 is performed and the type of theholding member 51/71 is identified by the evaluation on the type of theindicators 54 and 73.

At step S4, a judgment is made as to whether or not the inserted or setholding member is the reading-use holding member 71. If the set holdingmember is the cutting-use holding member 51 and not the reading-useholding member 71 (step S4: No), the preset and pre-stored defaultcorrection data is read out in step S5. Then, at step S7, the image ofthe workplace S is read. The shading correction of the read image isperformed based on the preset shading correction data. Though not shown,processes such as the cutting of the workpiece S held by the cutting-useholding member 51 is executed though not shown.

In contrast, if the set holding member is the reading-use holding member71 (step S4: Yes), specification of the shading correction data based onthe reference portion 75 is carried out in the subsequent step S6. Thisprocess will be elaborated in the description of the flowchart indicatedin FIG. 12. Then, at step S7, the image of the workpiece S′ is read bythe scanner 6. The shading correction of the read image is performedbased on the latest shading correction data specified by step S6.

Referring to FIG. 12, the specification of the shading correction databased on reference portion 75 will be described. The shading correctionemploys a known methodology and thus will be described briefly. At stepS11, the reading-use holding member 71 is fed by the feed mechanism 7 tothe location where the black reference portion 78 is read by the scanner6. Then, at step S12, AFE (Analog Front End) adjustment is performed. Atstep S13, black reference portion 78 is read by the scanner 6 and theblack level data is obtained based on the read image.

Then, at step S14, the reading-use holding member 71 is fed by the feedmechanism 7 to the location where the white reference portion 77 is readby the scanner 6. At step S15, adjustment is made on the amount of lightof the light source. Then, at step S16, white reference portion 77 isread by the scanner 6 and the white level data is obtained based on theread, image. Then, at step S17, the shading correction data is generatedby the black level data and the white level data and stored.

Once the specification of the shading correction data is completed, theprocess flow returns to the flowchart indicated in FIG. 11 to executethe reading of the workpiece S′ of step S7. Because the correction datais specified by reading the reference portion 75 of the reading-useholding member 71, shading correction of the image read by the scanner 6based on the workpiece S′ can be carried out properly.

In the first embodiment, the reading-use holding member 71 is providedwith the indicator 73 and reference portion 75. Thus, the use of thereading-use holding member 71 is automatically identified when theindicator 73 is read by the scanner 6. Based on the identification, thereference color of the reference portion 75 is further read to specifythe correction data used in the shading correction and thereby allowingshading correction of the read image to be executed properly.

The first embodiment is especially advantageous in that the referenceportion 75 includes both the white reference portion 77 and the blackreference portion 78 and thereby allowing execution of a proper shadingcorrection. Further, the first embodiment arranges the upper surface ofthe reference portion 75 to be substantially level with the uppersurface of the workpiece S′ placed on the holding portion 74. Thus, thedistance between the scanner 6 and the reference portion 75 can besubstantially equalized with the distance between scanner 6 and theworkpiece S′ which allows precise specification of the correction dataand thereby allowing the shading correction to be executed even moreproperly.

Still further, in the first embodiment, the holding portion 74 of thereading-use holding member 71 is configured by the base 72 and thetransparent sheet 76 placed over the base 72. Thus, the workpiece S′ canbe held reliably and easily between the base 72 and the transparentsheet 76. Because the manner of holding the workpiece differs from thecutting-use holding member 51 in which the workpiece S is held by thesecond adhesive layer 53 a, misuse on the part of the user can beprevented.

Yet further, in the first embodiment, cutting apparatus 1, i.e. imagereading apparatus 1′ is provided with the reading-use holding member 71.Thus, the correction data for the execution of shading correction can bespecified by reading the reference portion 75 of the reading-use holdingmember 71 to allow proper execution of shading correction on the imageread based or workpiece S′. Further, the provision of indicators 73 and54 on each of the cutting-use holding member 51 and the reading-useholding member 71 allows automatic identification of the type of thecutting-use holding member 51 and the reading-use holding member 71.Based on such identification, processes and tasks suitable for the typeof holding member 51/71 can be performed. Further, because the referenceportion 75 is not provided on the cutting-use holding member 51 which isa consumable, the cutting-use holding member 51 can be manufactured inlow cost. The reading-use holding member 71 on the other hand, may beused repeatedly over a long period of time.

FIGS. 13A and 13B pertains to a second embodiment of the disclosure andillustrates the configuration of a reading-use holding member 81. Asshown in FIG. 13A, a reading-use holding member 81 is made of a softsynthetic resin material and includes a rectangular base 82 slightlyelongated in the front and rear direction. In the forward region of thebase 82, located on the leading end of the reading-use holding member 81being fed into inlet 2 a, an indicator 83, a reference portion 85 forshading correction, and a holding portion 84 are provided in the listedsequence. The holding portion 84 removably holds workpiece S′ not shown.The workpiece S′ comprises a sheet material such paper having theoriginal image depicted on it which is used for generating cut data. Theindicator 83 comprises 3 black dots aligned in the left and rightdirection as was the case in the reading-use holding member 71. Thereference portion 85 also includes both the white reference portion 87and the black reference portion 88 as was the case in the firstembodiment.

The holding portion 84 is provided with an adhesive layer in arectangular region on the upper surface of the base 82 exclusive of theregion for forming the indicator 83 and the reference portion 85, theleft edge 82 b, and the right edge 82 c. This adhesive layer is referredto as a first adhesive layer 84 a having a first adhesive force. In thefirst embodiment, the holding portion 53 of the cutting-use holdingmember 51 is provided with a second adhesive layer 53 a having a secondadhesive force which is relatively strong in order to hold the workpieceS unmovably during cutting. The workpiece S′ held by the reading-useholding member 81, however, is not subjected to any external force, inother words, the cutting force of the cutter 4, and thus, the firstadhesive force of the first adhesive layer 84 a may be weaker than thesecond adhesive force of the second adhesive layer 53 a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 135, the height of the upper surface of thereference portion 85, that is, the white reference portion 87 and theblack reference portion 88 is configured at to be higher than the heightof the upper surface of the placement 72 d located on the base 72. Thedifference between the heights is configured to be substantially equalto the standard thickness of workpiece S′ being approximately 0.28 mmwhich envisages the thickness of a printed photograph. Stateddifferently, the upper surface the reference portion 85 is configured tobe substantially level with the upper surface of workpiece S′ held bythe holding portion 84.

The reading-use holding member 81 of the second embodiment provides theeffects similar to those of the reading-use holding member 71 of thefirst embodiment.

In the foregoing embodiments, the cutting apparatus 1 was configured toinclude the image processing apparatus 1′. The present disclosure may,however, be applied to image reading apparatuses in general such as acopier, facsimile, and an image scanner.

In the foregoing embodiments, the reference portions 75 and 85 wereconfigured by both the white reference portions 77 and 87 and the blackreference portions 78 and 88. However, the provision of at least thewhite reference portion will allow the correction data for use in theshading correction to be obtained. Further, the white reference portions77 and 87 and the black reference portions 78 and 88 each configured byan adhesive tape may be replaced by printed coating, or the like.

Further, the indicators 54, 73, and 83 are not limited to black dots butmay replaced by various characters, numerals, symbols, and graphics orthe like, as long as the indicator allows identification of type byimage reading. The identification of type may also be implemented byvarying the color of the indicators.

Still further, the reading-use holding member 71 and 81 and thecutting-use holding member 51, as well as the base 72, 82, and 52 madeof synthetic resin in the foregoing embodiments may be made of thicksheet of paper or metal plate.

The foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative of theprinciples of the disclosure and are not to be construed in a limitedsense. Various changes and modifications will become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art. All such changes and modifications areseen to fall within the scope of the disclosure as defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cutting apparatus comprising: an image, readingapparatus including: an image reading unit; a reading-use holding memberconfigured to hold a sheet of workpiece while imago reading is performedby the image reading unit, the reading-use holding member including: abase being generally planar, an indicator provided at the base andconfigured to identify a type of holding member when read by the imagereading unit, a holding portion provided at the base and configured tohold the workpiece, and a reference portion provided at the base andconfigured to provide as reference image data for use in a shadingcorrection of an image read by the image reading unit; a cutting-useholding member being different in type from the reading-use holdingmember and including an indicator configured to identify a type ofholding member when read by the image reading unit and a second adhesivelayer configured to removably hold a sheet of a workpiece by a secondadhesive force; and a cut mechanism configured to cut the workplacebeing held by the cutting-use holding member.
 2. The cutting apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the reference portion of the reading-useholding member includes a white reference portion configured to correcta white level of the read image.
 3. The cutting apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein the reference portion of the reading-use holding memberfurther includes a black reference portion configured to correct a blacklevel of the read image.
 4. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1,wherein an upper surface of the reference portion of the reading-useholding member is substantially level with an upper surface of theworkpiece held by the holding portion.
 5. The cutting apparatusaccording to claim 4, wherein the holding portion of the reading-useholding member includes: a region provided at the base and configured toplace the workpiece, and a transparent sheet configured to overlie anupper surface side of the region so as to cover the workpiece.
 6. Thecutting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the no ding portion ofthe reading-use holding member includes: a region provided at the baseand configured to place the workpiece, and a first adhesive layerprovided on an upper surface of the region and configured to removablyhold the workpiece by a first adhesive force.